


Maria Hill is literally only 29, thank you very much

by agent_wheeler



Series: Maria doesn't get paid enough for this - a series [2]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: BAMF Maria Hill, Canon Compliant, F/F, I mean come on, Pre-Avengers (2012), and yes it's canon they're together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-17 14:08:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29593959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agent_wheeler/pseuds/agent_wheeler
Summary: Three weeks later, a body is found in the Arctic, and everything changes once again.(you don't need to have read any of the rest of the series for this to make sense!)
Relationships: Maria Hill/Natasha Romanov
Series: Maria doesn't get paid enough for this - a series [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2174187
Comments: 4
Kudos: 95





	Maria Hill is literally only 29, thank you very much

Three weeks later, a body is found in the Arctic, and everything changes once again.

Within three hours of the frozen body of Steven G. Rogers being dug out of the ice, Maria is on a flight back to DC. Fury tells her that he wants to oversee Rogers’ recovery personally, and so she needs to be back at the Triskellion to manage the day-to-day business of that office. Maria doesn’t complain - New Mexico was getting a little dull, and it put her further away from Natasha.

Beyond that first night at Hartley’s (and then later at Maria’s apartment), Maria had barely seen Natasha at all. She’d flown back to New Mexico pretty much the next day, and Coulson had called Natasha in for a mission. She texted, when she could, but it wasn’t often.

Maria isn’t too sure what she’d been expecting. It’s not like Natasha could stop being the Black Widow just because she’s kissed Maria. Maria can’t help but feel a bit sad about the whole thing though, especially when she gets an email on October 1st inviting her to Izzy and Victoria’s engagement party. She can’t make it, and can’t come up with a plausible excuse to fly back to the north east anyway. There’s always just enough work that needs done at P.E.G.A.S.U.S. that she needs to do that she can’t really justify taking random days off. 

Still, Maria’s not sad to see the back of the New Mexico facility when she boards the flight back to DC. It’s an early morning flight, and means that by 1pm she’s already sitting behind her desk at the Triskellion, reading over the handover notes Fury has left. Other than the cleaners, it doesn’t look like anyone else has been into her office since she left for New Mexico half a year prior. Maria’s pleased about this - people can mess up her desk on pain of death.

Her first visitor that afternoon is Agent Garrett, a pasty, middle-aged man with an easily punchable face. He, Maria thinks, is one of those people that gives the intelligence community a bad name. Effortlessly sleazy, Maria never looks forward to interacting with him, and today is no different. He arrives clutching some paperwork in his hand, waving it in Maria’s face, as if that’s somehow going to help her read it. Eventually, she manages to decode from his ramblings that he’s had a requisition denied, and wants her to override it. Maria’s not sure what Garrett needs an extra five machine-guns for, considering he runs a three-man team, but promises him she’ll approve the paperwork if he can produce her a mission formulation plan that justifies them. Garrett doesn’t look pleased with this situation, but eventually acquiesces and leaves.

Maria’s second guest is a much more pleasant surprise - Melinda May. Maria has endless respect for the older woman. May doesn’t actually want anything from Maria, and instead appears to be here for a social call, which seems somewhat out of character. Maria can’t help but wonder if the isolation of the administration department is finally getting to her.

“I heard you were back in town? What’s that about?” Melinda asks.  
“Fury’s out dealing with Op Frostbite, so he’s brought me back to keep the peace here,” Maria replies.  
“Bet Coulson’s mad he’s not there,” Melinda says, laughing and shaking her head lightly.  
“Oh, almost certainly. But it’s not like he’d trust Delta to anyone else. I heard he handed them to Sitwell for an afternoon and almost gave himself an aneurism,” Maria remembers.  
“Why am I not surprised? But, still, it’s character development on Sitwell’s part. Remember when Barton first came in, and Sitwell was really awful to him?”  
“Was I here at that point? I might have been, I think I was still pretty new though. Definitely not senior enough to get the insider information on new assets.”  
“I forget you’re still a child, Maria,”  
“I’m almost thirty, thank you very much,” Maria defends.  
“Exactly, positively an infant. Anyway, I should probably let you get back to serious Commander business,” Melinda says, moving towards the exit.  
“You’re welcome up here any time, you know that, right? If you get bored of the basement?” Maria offers. Melinda gives her a small smile, but doesn’t say anything, and closes the door quietly behind her as she leaves. 

It’s almost 5pm, and Maria’s approaching a more manageable 200 unread emails (as opposed to the 650 that she’d started the day with), and has just about resolved to call it a day when there’s another knock. She looks at the security panel in her desk to see who’s swiped the card-reader, when her heart does an excited flip-flop. She presses the button to release the door mechanism, and in walks Phil Coulson, holdall bag flung over his shoulder and normally-perfectly-gelled hair looking post-helicarrier windswept. He’s barely in the room, but raises his eyebrows expectantly at Maria. She sighs.  
“No, Phil, I can’t get you put on the New York detail,” Maria says, rolling her eyes.  
“Worth a shot,” Phil says to himself.  
“How’ve you been?” Maria asks.  
“Ah, you know. Busy. Barton got called down to New Mexico. He’ll be disappointed you’re not there. I don’t think he was particularly looking forward to it.”  
“Oh yeah, I saw his name flash across some of the paperwork. I wasn’t expecting to be called back, to be honest.”  
“I mean, I don’t think anyone was expecting to pull Captain America out of the ice. They’ve been running search missions for years now, and all they’ve found is that bloody cube,”  
Maria rolls her eyes. “Urgh, don’t. Like, Selvig’s fine, but christ he’s dull when he wants to be.”  
“Well, that’ll be fun for Barton then,” Coulson laughs, stuffing his hands in his pockets and rocking back-and-forth on his heels.  
“So you’re here for a while?” Maria asks.  
“Dunno, hopefully. We’ll have to find someone to sub in for Barton, unless there’s a sudden surge in missions for Natasha to take alone.”  
“Who’re you thinking? I’ll probably have to sign it off anyway,”  
“Maybe Morse, if she’s around? To be honest, I’ll take anyone that doesn’t flinch when they see Natasha coming in a corridor,”  
“Well, that’s quite a narrow pool. Morse would be good. She and Natasha fight well together,” Maria acknowledges.  
“You’re allowed to ask about her, you know?” Phil says.  
“I know,” Maria deflects, mindlessly rearranging paper on her desk.  
“I can send her up, if you like? I think she’s sorting out her kit at the moment, but when she’s done?” Phil offers.  
“I can talk to her myself, you know,”  
“I know, you’re a grownup, I just wanted to offer my services, as matchmaker,” Phil says, with a stupid flourish of his hands.  
“Don’t you have a mission report to write, Agent Coulson?” Maria asks.  
“Oh, you’re no fun. Very well, Commander. Drinks on Saturday?”  
“Sounds like a plan. You’re dismissed, Agent,” Maria says, and sits back down at her desk. Phil gives her a half-assed salute, and leaves. Maria pulls her personal phone out from the top drawer of the desk. 

_To: Natasha Romanov_  
I’m in DC for the foreseeable, if you’re around? (17:22)

She’s not expecting Natasha to reply immediately, but sets her phone down on top of her desk anyway, just in case, and sets about packing her bag to head downstairs to the Mess for a drink before heading home.

Maria quite likes the Senior Agents Mess at the Triskellion. It’s only for people on clearance level 6 and above, so it’s generally pretty tame. It’s a nicely furnished space, too, with a half-dozen sofas, and a wood-panelled bar in the corner. Maria buys herself a soft drink and takes a seat on a corner sofa, taking a copy of Under the S.H.I.E.L.D., the organisation’s internal magazine, from the coffee table on the way.

She’s engrossed in an article written by the Quartermaster when there’s a quiet cough from in front of her. Maria curses herself for not being more aware of her surroundings, but looks up from the magazine to see Natasha smiling at her. 

“Phil said you were here,” Natasha says by way of explanation as she sits down next to Maria on the sofa, rummaging for something in her pocket.  
“I don’t even want to know how he knew I was in here,” Maria says, shaking her head.  
“Oh, no, he said you were in DC. I was the one who found you here,” Natasha says, almost looking sheepish.  
“Missing Barton too much yet?” Maria asks.  
“Ha, hardly. It’s nice to have five minutes to myself after basically living in each others pockets for two weeks in-“ Natasha starts, but cuts herself off.  
“Nat, I’m a station Commander. There’s very little you can tell me that I’m not allowed to know,”  
“It’s not important, anyway. I’m glad you’re back,” Natasha says.  
“It’s good to be back. I’m glad you’re here too,” Maria replies, smiling.  
“Careful, Commander. People might overhear and think you’re going soft in your old age,”  
Maria shoves Natasha. “I’m literally two years older than you, shut up,”  
“Exactly, you’re ancient. You’re basically dead,” Natasha jokes.  
“Behave, Agent. Or I’ll pair you with someone awful whilst Barton’s away,” Maria warns, but there’s no heat in it.  
“Do your worst,”  
“I will, if you’re not careful. I’ll stick you with Grant Ward, or Rumlow,” Maria says. Natasha fakes a shudder.  
“Who are you actually thinking of?” Natasha asks.  
“Morse? I’d’ve said May, but she’s still insisting on being benched,”  
“Morse’d be fun. We’ve sparred a bit. We fight quite similar, though?”  
“I’m sure you’d find a way to make it work. Besides, I don’t know if she’s available, yet. You might still be alone,”  
“You sure you don’t fancy the field, Commander?” Natasha asks.  
“Yes, I’m more than happy behind a desk, thank you, Agent. Anyway, as you said, I’m ancient, you don’t want to be fighting alongside me,” Maria replies. Natasha pauses to think on this a while.  
“So,” Maria continues, “you got plans for tonight?”  
“I didn’t, but I guess I do now?” Natasha says, leaning back in towards Maria.  
“Too right,” Maria replies. She downs the rest of her soda, slamming the can on the table with more force that was strictly necessary, then makes a show of standing up.  
“Come on, granny. Let’s get you home,” Natasha says, reaching for Maria’s arm. Maria allows it for a moment, then shoves Natasha so hard she ends up back on the sofa. In the second it takes Natasha to compose herself, Maria’s somehow already at the exit. Natasha laughs, and moves to catch up with her, smiling gently.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! This came to me out of nowhere today, and I decided I needed to make it happen. Kudos and Comments make my day :)


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